Switched - My Sister the Vampire #1 Book Review

Author: Sienna Mercer. Release date: 2007. Publisher:  HarperCollins. ISBN: 9780060871130.

Annotation:  Olivia Abbott is determined to make the most of being the new girl at Franklin Grove middle school. Little does she know that new friend, goth-girl, Ivy Vega, is actually her identical twin sister…and a vampire!

Personal thoughts: I have to admit that I felt pretty silly wanting to run and get the next installment in this fun and interesting series. I think that these books are a wonderful substitute for younger readers who may not be ready to venture into vampire novels like Twilight or The House of Night series. I would highly recommend these to tweens who want something sugary with a dash of gothic.

Plot summary: Bubbly middle-school cheerleader, Olivia Abbott, is determined to make the best of her family’s move to a new town. She starts school and immediately seeks out the cheerleaders to befriend. It seems that the popular girls at this school, however, are not the nicest people in the world. One day, Olivia meets goth girl, Ivy Vega. Ivy is the opposite of Olivia: she wears black clothes and thick eyeliner, and is far from the cheerleading type. As Olivia gets to know Ivy better she makes a startling discovery: Ivy looks a lot like her, in fact, she and Ivy are identical twins! Things get even weirder when Olivia learns that their fashion choices aren’t the only thing different between them: Ivy is actually one of many vampires who call Olivia’s new town home. Despite their differences, Olivia and Ivy become close, and decide to help each other out, even if they have to switch places from time to time to do it! But can a vampire and a cheerleader really pose as one another without getting noticed?

Review: Switched is the first novel in Mercer’s My Sister the Vampire series which has since been followed up by five additional installments, with two more being published in 2011. It is a very interesting and original story, with likeable characters and a believable setting. Ivy and Olivia have a pretty fantastical story, but they deal with issues that are common in middle school: crushes, bullies, peer pressure, and self-confidence. The vampire aspect of the story only adds to the fun. Although this installment of the series does not go into too much detail about exactly how Ivy and Olivia were separated at birth and why Ivy is a vampire but Olivia isn’t, Mercer manages to make the reader care enough about her characters to want to find out how they came to be in their situation. A very good start to a popular series for tweens.

Genre: Fiction/Vampire-Fiction

Reading level: Grade 4+

Similar titles: Other titles in the My Sister the Vampire series by Sienna Mercer. This Totally Bites (2010) by Ruth Ames. Monster High (2010) by Lisi Harrison.

Themes: Twins, vampires, middle-school, sisters.

Awards/Reviews: Positive reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

Series Information: Part of My Sister the Vampire series by Sienna Mercer. Titles: Switched (2007), Fangtastic! (2007), Re-Vamped! (2007), Vampalicious (2008), Take Two! (2011), Love Bites! (2011), Lucky Break! (coming in 2011), Star Style (coming in 2011)

Discussion Questions:

- Who do you identify with more: Olivia or Ivy? Why?

- Do you think the vampires in this series are different or similar to the traditional idea of the vampire?

- What are some other stories, TV shows, or movies with twins? Why do you think twins are commonly featured in fictional stories?

- Do you think it's right for Ivy to pose as Olivia and vice versa? Why or why not?

- What are some situations you would like to see Ivy and Olivia pose as eachother in?

Karma Bites Book Review

Authors: Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas. Release date: 2010. Publisher:  Sandpiper. ISBN: 9780547363011.

Annotation:  Wouldn’t it be nice if you could fix everything that’s wrong with middle school like magic? Wrong! Franny is about to discover that when you mess with the universe, karma can really come back to bite you.

Personal thoughts:  Although it is somewhat “light” fare, I really enjoy Karma Bites and would recommend it to tween girls as a fun read. I was impressed from the start with the authors’ writing style. It’s often difficult for adults to write in “tween” language without sounding corny or like they’re trying too hard. Kramer and Thomas pulled it off perfectly, creating a entertaining narrative that tweens will enjoy. I will definitely keep an eye out for my titles from this duo.  

Plot summary: Franny Flanders is about to begin 7^th grade and the worst thing has happened: in an effort to “go blonde,” Franny’s hair has accidentally been died orange by her best friend. Whoops! Luckily, Franny’s Granny is able to reverse the damage using a mysterious oily mixture. Franny appreciates Granny’s efforts, but things turn weird when Franny spends the first day of 7^th grade speaking her mind: something no middle schooler in the precarious position of “clique border crosser” should do. Franny questions her Granny and discovers the truth: the hair reversal mixture was a recipe from a magical Hindu box Granny received from a mysterious monk in Bhutan. As Franny learns more about the powers of the box, she decides to use more magical recipes to fix things in her life. First, she must reunite her two best friends, Kate and Joey. The three were inseparable in elementary school, but middle school caused Kate to become the leader of the “beeks,” the band-geek clique, and Joey to emerge as head of the “poms” and “peaks,” the school’s popular cheerleaders. After she fixes her social life, Franny takes on more challenges: getting her evil English teacher to chill-out, fixing the school’s cafeteria food, and ridding her father of his pesky new girlfriend in an effort to reunite her newly divorced parents. But how far can magic go to correct everything that is wrong in Franny’s world? Franny is about to discover that you can’t mess around with the universe, and that karma really bites.

Review:  Chock full of current language, pop-culture references, and humor, Karma Bites is the perfect “fun-read” for the tween girl of 2011. Franny is a very likable character, and the fact that she’s flawed makes her very relatable. Her adventures answer the question of what would happen if magic could fix all the wrongs of middle school. Tucked into Franny’s dealings with Hindu boxes, magical recipes, and hippie Grannies, however, is a valuable message: Franny eventually learns that she holds the power to making her life good, even if it’s not perfect. Authors Kramer and Thomas use their literary prowess to make the narrative sound as it’s coming from the mouth of a 12-year-old girl. Franny frequently uses fun phrases like “flip me out” to react to different situations. The writing style will hold definite appeal to readers. Apart from the entertaining aspects of the novel, Franny does deal with some serious issues that many tweens experience. Her parents are recently divorced and her grandmother has moved in to help her mother take care of her and her little brothers. Franny is clearly upset about the separation, and believes that her mother and father will get back together. She must also contend with the cutthroat social politics of middle school. Elodie, her school’s “mean girl,” is a vicious bully who enforces a rigid caste system dividing the student body into their rightful place. Her best friends, Joey and Kate, are now enemies and focus on who Franny spends more time with, rather than on Franny’s well-being. Tweens will be able to relate with these challenges on a very real level, despite the presence of magic. Overall, Karma Bites is an effervescent book that young readers are sure to enjoy.

Genre: Fiction/Humor

Reading level: Grade 4+

Similar titles:  None

Themes: Magic, karma, social aspects of middle school, divorce, bullying, cliques.   

Awards/Reviews: Positive review from School Library Journal  and www.teensreadtoo.com .

Series Information:  N/A 

Discussion Questions:

- Do you believe in karma? Why or why not?

- Do you think the social set-up of Franny's middle-school is realistic? What parts do you think are more realistic than others?

- Describe your experiences with cliques or bullying in school.

- Do you think Franny should get in the middle of the feud between Kate and Joey? Why or why not?